Hairpiece construction

ABSTRACT

A partial hairpiece for use by people with thinning hair which consists of a plurality of hair-carrying webbed bands for placement across the top of the head in separated strips, the bands having their ends attached to an elastic band which is Ushaped and extends around the back of the head from the temples. The separation of the hair-carrying strips allows the wearer&#39;&#39;s own hair to extend through the area between the strips where it may intermingle with an overlie portions of the hairpiece hair.

llnited States Patent Mielke 51 Mar. 28, 1972 [s41 HAIRPIECECONSTRUCTION 3,444,865 5/1969 De Vita 1 32/53 [72] Inventor: ggzz zgxrgfig 3 ggg Mendlan Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene AssistantExaminer-Gregory E. McNeill [22] Filed: Nov. 21, 1969 Attorney-Hill,Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [21] Appl. No.: 878,862 [57] ABSTRACT Apartial hairpiece for use by people with thinning hair which g A;1133133 consists Ufa plurality ofhaimanying webbed bands for Flaw 58]Fieid 132/53 54 6 7 9 ment across the top of the head in separatedstrips, the bands 5 having their ends attached to an elastic band whichis U- shaped and extends around the back of the head from the temples.The separation of the hair-carrying strips allows the [56] ReferencesCited wearer's own hair to extend through the area between the UNITEDSTATES PATENTS strips where it may intermingle with an overlie portionsof the hairpiece hair. 1,549,334 8/1925 Ruffio ..132/105 3,434,4813/1969 Mazzocco ..132/53 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ahairpiece and more particularly to a partial hairpiece which is used inconnection with the wearers own hair to provide a full-bodied look.

2. Prior Art Wigs and hairpieces are old in the art, and fall generallyinto two categories, those which cover the entire head of the wearer andthose which are designed to be used in addition to the hair of thewearer. Examples of the latter type are found in U.S. Patent to JenkinsNo. 3,280,826 and Regina, US. Pat. No. 3,307,563.

In many instances, a persons natural hair growth may thin in certainareas of the head, and although it may be possible to cover these areaswith longer hairs from full-growth areas of the head, to do so resultsin the lack of a full-bodied look. In many instances, it has beensuggested to attach additional hair, either natural or artificial, tocover the thin spots. To the extent this is done with a full-coveringhairpiece or wig, it may be detrimental to the wearers own hair as wellas being undesirable for esthetic purposes. To the extent that this canbe accomplished by placing individual hairpiece portions over thethinning spot, this usually requires that what hair may exist not beused in whatever coiffure the wearer desires. Further, most prior artmethods of attaching such individual hairpieces do not accommodateextensive hair styling and are generally of a temporary nature designedto be worn for short periods of time.

The present invention provides a partial hairpiece which forms a baseand support to a head of hair which is thin. It allows exposure of allof the wearers own hair to advantage, and allows a commingling of thehairpiece hair with the wearer's hair allowing them to be cut and styledas if the hairpiece-carried hair were a part of the wearers hair.Further, the hairpiece of this invention can be used with an ordinaryhead of hair to make or enhance any desired style of coiffure. Thehairpiece does not cover the entirety of the head, and therefore doesnot cut off oxygen to the wearers own hair and scalp.

The hairpiece consists of an elastic band or strip which, when in placeon the wearers head, is U-shaped and extends from a position adjacentthe front of the hairline overlying either the temporal bone or thesphenoid. The strip extends around the back of the head below thenatural bulge near the base of occipital bone. The free ends of thestrip located adjacent the temples can be attached to the wearers ownhair as by hairpins or the like, as may the bight portion in the back ofthe head. A plurality of web strips carrying hair extends over the topof the wearers head. The strips are attached at either end thereof tothe elastic band. The strips are spaced from one another from the frontof the wearers head to the back a sufficient distance to allow thewearer's own hair to be drawn up through the spaces and thereaftercombed in and commingled with the hair carried by the strips.

In a preferred embodiment, the strip which is furthest back is attachedto the elastic band through elastic intermediary strips so as to be snugon the rear portion of the wearer's head. This strip usually overlieseither the top of the occipital bone or the bottom portions of theparietal bones.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved hairpiece.

it is another object of this invention to provide a partial hairpiecehaving strips of hair laid transversely across the wearers head wherebythe wearers own hair may be commingled with the hairpiece hair.

It is another and a more specific object of this invention to provide apartial hairpiece having an elastic band extending around the back ofthe head from the temples and a plurality of hair-carrying stripsextending over the top of the head and around the upper portions of therear of the head, the strips being separated from one another therebyallowing the wearer's hair to be pulled out from underneath the stripsand overlie portions of the strips to commingle with the hairpiece hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantagesof the invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptionof certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may beefiected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novelconcepts of the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hairpiece of this invention inposition on a mannequin head;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the non-hair portions of the hairpieceof FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a machine sewn strip of hair which may be usedin place of the bands of prior figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates the hairpiece10 of this invention placed upon a featureless mannequin head 11. Thehairpiece 10 consists of hair-carrying bands 12, elastic bands 13, andhair 14. The hair may be human, animal or artificial.

The hairpiece 10 is designed to be placed over the hair of the wearer.Thereafter the hair of the wearer is parted in the areas adjacent thebands 12 and the wearers hair is drawn from under the bands to aposition atop the bands, where it may be combed into and commingled withthe hairpiece hair. In this manner, the hairpiece hair acts to fill outthe wearers own hair and it may be cut and styled therewith. This is anaid to wearers with thinning hair. Further, the hairpiece may be used,when it is desired, for esthetic reasons, to create a coiffure which mayrequire larger amounts of hair than the wearer has naturally.

The hairpiece 10 is constructed of an elastic band 17 which isdimensioned to extend around the back of the wearers head from thetemples. The band, when worn, is U-shaped with the free ends of the legsof the U 19 and 20 positioned behind the normal hairline overlyingeither the sphenoid or temporal bone of the wearer in the area 22 behindthe natural hairline. The ends 19 and 20 are fastened to the wearers ownhair as by means of hairpins or the like. The elastic band 17 extendsaround the back of the wearers head below the posterior bulge of theoccipital bone in the area 25. The band will normally be retained theredue to the bulge of the occipital bone, however, it may also be aided byfastening to the wearers hair with hairpins or the like.

A plurality of webbed strips 12, preferably three in number, 27 28 and29, extend over the top of the wearers head in a U- shapedconfiguration. The ends of the U" 31 and 32 of the frontmost webbed band27 are attached to the free ends 19 and 20 of the elastic band 17. Thefrontmost webbed band 27 normally overlies the back of the frontal boneor the front of the parietal bones, depending upon where the wearershair is thinnest. The second webbed band 28 is positioned to the rear ofthe band 27 and has its ends 33 and 34 connected to the elastic band 17in spaced relation from the connection of the band 27. The band 28 ispositioned to extend over the head in the area of the parietal bones.

The band 29 is connected with the elastic band 17 through two elasticbands 35 and 36 which have their ends connected to the ends 37 and 38 ofthe band 29 and to the elastic strip 24. The band 29 is spaced from theband 28 to the rear thereof and is designed to overlie the rear of theparietal bones or the top of the occipital bone. The elastic strips 35and 36 serve to retain the band 29 in place while increasing thesnugness of the fitting of the elastic band 17 and preventing it fromslippage. i

The bands 27, 28 and 29, being spaced from one another, allow thewearers hair to be pulled into the spaces 40 and 41 between the bandsand into the space 43 between the band 29 and the elastic band 17. Thebands 27, 28 and 29 are preferably web material with individual standsof hair attached thereto as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In thismanner, when the wearers own hair is parted and pulled into the spaces40 and 41 and over the top of the band 27 the wearer's own haircommingles with the artificial or natural hair carried by the bands soas to provide an esthetic look, hiding the bands underneath thecommingled hair. Thereafter, the combined hairpiece hair and thewearer's hair may be styled and cut as a single hair source.

FIG. 4 illustrates a machine-sewn strip of artificial hair 45. The strip45 consists of a packing 46 and strands of artificial hair 47 which aremachine-sewn to the backing 46 as by stitching 48. Individual strips ofmachine-sewn hair may be substituted for the bands 27, 28 and 29 as maygroups of strips of machine-sewn hair which overlie and commingle withone another.

It is to be understood that although the invention has been discussed aspreferably having three webbed bands or three sets of machine-sewnstrips, the invention may be practiced with more than three where theplacement of the wearers hair makes this desirable.

It can therefore be seen from the above that my invention provides apartial hairpiece which is easily assembled and placed upon the wearershair and which allows the wearers hair to be drawn between portions ofthe hairpiece and commingled with the hairpiece-carried hair where itmay be styled and cut as a unitary, commingled mass.

Although the teachings of my invention have herein been discussed withreference to specific theories and embodiments, it is to be understoodthat these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish toutilize my invention in different designs or applications.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hairpiece comprising:

a U-shaped head hair attached band of thin width which runslongitudinally of the head and does not go all the way around the headand with the free ends thereof terminating adjacent the temples of awearer and the center portion extending around the back of the head;

a plurality of hair carrying bands that bisect the plane of the skull ofthe wearer, one of said hair carrying bands attached to the free ends ofsaid hair attaching band and extending over the front portion of thewearer's skull;

a second one of said hair carrying bands attached to central portions ofthe legs of said hair attaching band and extending over the centerportion of the wearers skull;

a third one of said hair carrying bands having its ends attached to theends of two thin elastic strips the other ends of which are attached tothe legs of said hair attaching band rearwardly relative to the head ofthe wearer of said second hair carrying band; and

three crescent-shaped openings formed respectively between said firstand second hair carrying bands, said second and third hair carryingbands and said third hair carrying band and the center portion of saidhead hair attaching band so that the wearer's hair may be drawn throughsaid crescent-shaped openings and intermixed with hair on said haircarrying bands.

1. A hairpiece comprising: a U-shaped head hair attached band of thinwidth which runs longitudinally of the head and does not go all the wayaround the head and with the free ends thereof terminating adjacent thetemples of a wearer and the center portion extending around the back ofthe head; a plurality of hair carrying bands that bisect the plane ofthe skull of the wearer, one of said hair carrying bands attached to thefree ends of said hair attaching band and extending over the frontportion of the wearer''s skull; a second one of said hair carrying bandsattached to central portions of the legs of said hair attaching band andextending over the center portion of the wearer''s skull; a third one ofsaid hair carrying bands having its ends attached to the ends of twothin elastic strips the other ends of which are attached to the legs ofsaid hair attaching band rearwardly relative to the head of the wearerof said second hair carrying band; and three crescent-shaped openingsformed respectively between saId first and second hair carrying bands,said second and third hair carrying bands and said third hair carryingband and the center portion of said head hair attaching band so that thewearer''s hair may be drawn through said crescent-shaped openings andintermixed with hair on said hair carrying bands.